Drying rack



Sept 27, 1949. c. F. SMITH 2,483,242

DRYING RACK v Filed June 2, 1945 Y 2 sheets-sheet 1 Fig :LA7 24 l l wm WM mf FLFZ.

v/ZOlo Inventof CARL FSW-rn ttorneg.

C. F. SMITH DRYING RACK sept. 27, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June' 2, 1945 T L M Rf Q uJ B s 2 L 8 GJ .i F *sa Patented Sept. 27, 1949 voFFlcE DRYING RACK Carl F. Smith, Faribault, Minn.

Application June 2, 1945, Serial No. 597,367

This invention relates to a rack and particularly to a drying rack adapted to be supported in a room such as a bathroom for drying stockings or other articles. It is the common practice for Women to wash their stockings, particularly silk and nylon stockings, frequently and it is the common practice to suspend them on supports for drying. There is usually no convenient support for this and as a result stockings are commonly hung on towel racks, door knobs, etc.

It is an object of this invention to provide a very simple and ecient rack which may be conveniently supported in a bathroom or other room and which is capable of easy and quick operation and which will occupy a small space when not in use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a drying rack comprising a member adapted to be secured to a wall or other support in substantially vertical position, a second member pivoted to said member adjacent one end thereof and adapted to be supported in substantially horizontal position, said second member having a plurality of spaced supports thereon adapted to hold stockings or other articles, said members being collapsible with said supports so that they may be arranged in substantially parallel relation close together when not in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device comprising an elongated casing which is open at its front side and adapted to be suported in substantially vertical position, a member pivoted to said casing adjacent one end thereof and being swingable to substantially horizontal position, said member being constructed and arranged to be held in substantially horizontal position, the same having a plurality of spaced supports secured thereto and adapted to depend therefrom for suporting stockings or other articles, said member and supports being swingable into said casing when the device is not in use.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a device comprising an elongated casing of small transverse dimension having an open front side and being arranged to be secured to a wall or other support in substantially vertical position, a bar having an elongated slot adjacent one end, a pivot member extending through said slot and secured in the sides of said casing, said bar being swingable on said pivot to substantially horizontal position and being capable of being moved inwardly in said casing relatively to said pivot, means in said casing engaging the top of said bar to hold it in said 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-100) substantialy horizontal position, said bar having a plurality of spaced supports pivotally connected thereto Vand arranged to depend therefrom for supporting stockings or other articles, said bar and said supports being swingable into said casing with said bar preferably having its outer side flush with the sides of said casing and forming a closure therefor.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device in closed or inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the device in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 7, as indicated by the arrows:

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a portion of a bar used;

Fig. 5 is'a vertical section similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in'a different position;

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through the device;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line l-l of Fig. 5, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 8 isr a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on line Sl-B of Fig. 6, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. l0 is a view in front elevation of a link used.

Referring to the drawings, a drying device is Y shown comprising a casing 2l] which may con veniently be formed of wood or other material, and while this casing might take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as substantially rectangular in tranverse cross section and quite elongated in length. Said casing has a rear wall 20a, side walls 20h, a top wall 20c and a bottom wall 20d. Said casing is open at its front side between top and bottom walls 20c and 20d. Said casing is preferably provided with a plurality of holes 20e extending through rear wall 20a. adapted to receive screws 2| or other fastening means for attaching the casing to a wall 22 or other suitable support with said casing in substantially vertical position. A pivot pin 24 extends through and betwen the sides 20h of the casing adjacent one end thereof, which end is shown as the upper end. A bar 25 has an elongated slot 25a, formed therein adjacent one end, one end of said bar being dispos-ed between the sides 2Gb and hav:

ing said pivot pin 24 passing through slot 25a. Bar 25 is thus pivoted to casing 20 and the same may be swung to position substantially perpendicular to the length of casing 20 or to substantially horizontal position. When bar 25 is swung to its horizontal position, pivot member 25 is disposed at the outer end of slot 25a, as shown in Fig. 5. When the bar is swung to horizontal position it may be moved inwardly or toward the casing, the same moving relatively to pivot 2li and the inner end of the bar will have its top surface engaging a means or projection Zf depending from top wall 20c so that bar 25 will be firmly supported in its horizontal position. Bar 25, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, has a portion 25h of reduced width and a plurality of links 26 are pivotally connected to said portion 25h, the same having end portions passing through holes 25o extending transversely through portion 25h. While links 26 could be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention they are shown as substantially rectangular in form having spaced end portions 25a. which are disposed in the holes 25o. Links 25 are thus pivotally connected to bar 25. The closed or bightportions 25h of links 2B extend through the coils 210; ofY coiled compression springs 27. Each of the springs 2l has an end portion 2lb extending along one side of and across the back of a gripping member 28a, the portion of said end 2lb extending across said back being disposed in a groove 28h formed in said gripping member 28a. Each of said springs 2l has another end 21o extending across the side of and across the back of another gripping member 28e, said gripping member 28e having a groove 28d in its back or outer side receivng the part of end portion 21e which extends across said back. The gripping members 28a and 28o are thus held against the coil Ela of spring 2l in opposed relation and are provided with semicylindrical grooves 28g iitting about said spring. Gripping members 28a and 28e can be swung about the axis of spring 2l andthe same have engaging surfaces 2e` at their lower ends and have diver-'ging portions or arms 281 at their upper ends. Members 28 thus form gripping members adapted to hold a stocking or other article between the parts thereof. The members 28a and 28e are normally held with their surfaces 25e in engagement by springs 21. The gripping members 28 thus depend from links 25, which in turn depend from bar 25.

The rack when not in use will occupy the position shown in Fig. l. At this time bar 25 is disposed with pivot 24 in the outer end of slot 25d and is disposed within the casing 20. The lower end of bar 25 engages the front side of bottom wall d which is spaced somewhat from the front of casing 2li so that the outer side of bar is substantially flush with the fronts of sides 20h, as Vshown in Figs. 1 and 8. The bar 25 thus forms in effect a cover or closure for casing 20. When the rack is to be used, the operator will take hold of the lower end of bar 25 which extends a short distance below bottom wall Zld and will swing the same about pivot 24 to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Bar 25 will now be pushed inwardly or toward casing 20, slot 25a moving relatively to pivot 2G, and the inner end. of said bar will be disposed under projection 25j. The bar will now be rmly held in its extended position. Since links 2S and the supports or gripping members 28 are pivotally connected they will automatically swing to substantially vertical positions and depend from bar 25. VThe articles to be dried or supported can now be placed between the jaws 28a and 28C of members 28 by pressing together the portions 28j. The articles will be rmly gripped by pressure of springs 2l. After the articles are dried and removed the rack can again be returned to collapsed or inoperative position. This can be done by merely pulling outwardly on bar 25 until the end of slot 25a engages pivot 2llrand then letting the bar swing to vertical position. l Themembers 26 and 28 automatically swing as the bar 25 swings downwardly and move into the casing 20 in the position shown in Fig. 6.

From the above description it is seen I have provided a very simple and highly efficient drying rack. The rack takes up very little room when not-in use and can conveniently be secured to the wall of a room such as a bathroom or closet. The device can be nicely nished so that it will lt in with the other bathroom xtures and have a pleasing appearance. The device can almost instantly be moved from closed to operative position and vice versa. The articles to bedried can be very easily and quickly attached thereto and detached therefrom. The device is quite simple in construction Vand can be produced to sell at a very reasonable price. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efcient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generaly stated,` consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of` par-ts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A drying rack for stockings or other articles having in combination, an elongated casing substantially rectangular in transversel cross section and having an open side, a pivot member extending between the sides of said casing adjacent its upper end, a bar having an elongated slot adjacent one end through which said pivot member passes so that said bar is swingable on said pivot member and may be moved to substantially horizontal position, said bar being movable inwardly in said casing with said slot moving relatively to said pivot member, means adjacent the top of said casing engaging the inner end of said bar when so moved to hold it in said substantially horizontal position, a plurality of spaced supporting means pivotally connected to said bar and adapted to depend therefrom when said bar is in horizontal position and to swing to vertical position at the inner side of said bar when said bar is in vertical position in said casing, said bar and supports being swingable and disposable in said casing when said bar ismoved outwardly relatively to said pivot member, said supporting means each comprising a clip having jaws spring pressed to closed position and a link for each oi said clips pivotally connected at one end to the under side of said bar when in horizontal position and pivotally connected at its other end to said clip.

2. A drying rack for stockings or other articles having in combination, an elongated narrow casing substantially rectangular in transverse cross section and having a top and an open' front side, a pivot member extending between the sides of said casing adjacent said top, said top having a depending portion at its rear and in the rear of said pivot, a bar having an elongated slot adjacent one end through which said pivot member passes so that said bar is swingable on said pivot member and may be moved to substantially horizontal position, said bar being movable inwardly in said casing when in said horizontal position with said slot moving relatively to said pivot member to bring its end under said depending portion so that it is held in horizontal position, a plurality of spaced supporting means pivotally connected to said bar and adapted to depend therefrom when said bar is in horizontal position and to swing to vertical position at the inner side of said bar when said bar is in vertical position, said supporting means being of less Width than said bar so that they are s-wingable and disposable in said casing when said bar is moved outwardly and swung to vertical position, said bar substantially fitting in said casing and closing the front thereof with said supporting means at the inner side thereof within said casing.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, said bar having a portion of reduced width at its inner side and said supporting means being pivoted to said portion about axes extending transversely 25 thereof.

CARL F. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PA'IENTs Number Name Date 342,954 Ertell June 1, 1886 1,522,873 Doering Jan. 13, 1925 10 1,587,675 Patterson June 8, 1926 1,705,203 Patterson Mar. 12, 1929 1,706,887 Knostman Mar. 26, 1929 1,724,218 NiXon Aug. 13, 1929 1,833,147 Atkinson Nov. 24, 1931 15 2,048,519 Rose July 21, 1936 2,147,172 Poole Feb. 14, 1939 2,229,046 Carson Jan. 21, 1941 2,303,014 Williams Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 430,470 Great Britain June 19. 1935 

